


Take Two

by fire_starter



Series: The Time Travel AU(drabble)s [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, Time Travel, no beta we die like meh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 19:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16938954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fire_starter/pseuds/fire_starter
Summary: The one where Neil comes back to the past and Andrew doesn't (immediately) remember their future.





	Take Two

**Author's Note:**

> So this was the original idea
> 
>  
> 
> [https://exyprompts.tumblr.com/post/176167144092/prompt-by-anonymous-time-travel-au-post-canon](https://exypromp.ts.tumblr.com/post/176167144092/prompt-by-anonymous-time-travel-au-post-canon)  
> 
> 
> Time Travel AU: post canon Neil wakes up at the airport, waiting for Wymack to pick him up after Evermore. Maybe he tells Andrew the truth? Maybe he acts less oblivious? 

Neil woke up with a start. He took a look around and frowned. Why was he at an airport? He was sure he had fallen asleep on the couch with King and Sir. Was he dreaming?

He blinked to clear his head.

“Neil!” Neil looked up, startled, and saw Wymack's worried face. “Kid, I've been calling you for five minutes.”

“What?” Was Neil's clever response. “It looked like the time he had called Wymack coming back from Evermore but he'd never dreamt about that. Nightmares about his time in Evermore, sure, but never about his safe return. “Is this a dream? Am I dreaming?”

Wymack frowned. “I sure as hell am not, and you're beat to hell coming back from who knows where. What the fuck, kid?”

“I… I'm not sure why this is happening… if it's really happening.” Neil didn't know what to do. Should he act like the last time? Was it a nightmare? A regular dream? He dreaded it being real, him being really here and his future being the dream. The thought was too painful to bear so he concentrated on what was happening this moment. “I… I'll accept I'm not dreaming and am actually here at this airport with you. I spent Christmas at Evermore.”

Wymack was looking at him like Neil was breaking his heart. “Why?”

“Riko blackmailed me. He said if I didn't he'd… make Andrew's rehab hell. I had to try. But he did it anyway… Coach, we need to get Andrew out sooner than later, if it's possible… “ Neil trailed off.

Wymack was frowning again. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Neil couldn't believe it was this easy.

“Yeah, kid, okay. I'll set Betsy on it but you'll allow me or Abby to look at your wounds.”

Neil sighed in relief. “I'm fine with Abby, just take care of Andrew, please.”

In agreement they walked to Wymack's car.

***

Andrew's reaction when he saw Neil was a raised eyebrow. Neil wasn't sure if it was for his bandages or if like him Andrew remembered a time after this, a life where Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard played exy professionally and lived together and had two cats.

He wondered if he should say something. He asked in Russian, “Did you feed Sir and King?”

“Is that Russian?” Andrew's eyebrow climbed higher but otherwise he seemed unfazed. “Why are you speaking in Russian? Did they hit your head too much wherever you went to get tortured in?”

Neil's heart sank at Andrew's words. Andrew didn't remember their lives together, didn't remember the future. Never mind, Neil decided, he'd make it happen anyway. If he woke at home, great, but if he had to stay here, he'd do better this time.

He concentrated in order to give Andrew an answer. “Not that I remember. I was at Evermore. Riko blackmailed me.”

“You were keeping Kevin safe because Riko was concentrated on you.”

Neil nodded. “Yes. But also…”

“Yes, coach told me, your valiant try to save me. Not terribly successful as you already know. How do you already know, by the way?”

“I can't tell you how I know, not now.” Neil didn't want to hide any truth from Andrew but he couldn't say he'd already lived this. “But I can tell you other truths. About my scars. About my father. About me.”

Andrew took a long time to answer. Finally he came to sit down next to Neil on Wymack's couch. “Go on, liar. Dazzle me with the truth.”

Neil hesitated for another moment. He wanted to make it a truth for truth exchange but he had too many secrets to tell and Andrew wouldn't open up so much that an exchange like that would work. Neil just hoped Andrew would remember at some point.

“When I told you my father was dead,” he began. Andrew looked sharply interested. “I lied.”

“He's alive. My father's name is Nathan Wesninski, he's known as The Butcher of Baltimore. He works for The Moriyamas and he's currently in prison. He's getting out on parole in March.”

He stopped and waited for Andrew's reaction. “What's your name?”

“He named me Nathaniel. My mother picked Abram as my middle name. But I'm Neil. I want to stay Neil and stay here. I want a life here. Will you help me?”

“Help you how? We already have a deal.”

Right, the deal. “Let's change our deal. I don't want you to stand between me and my father. But when Kengo dies, I'm going to tell the FBI everything. Stand by me when I go to them. Stand by me and help bring me back. I don't want to go into Witness Protection, I want to stay here… and play.” He'd been about to say “with you” but decided it wasn't a great time for _that_ truth. “Yes or no?”

Andrew had been looking at him impassively but the phrase startled him and he narrowed his eyes at Neil. Neil cursed silently. Not good, he thought, not good.

But Andrew only asked, “And what will you give me in exchange?”

“Anything.” Neil said honestly. “Anything you ask of me.”

“Truth. I want the truth. All of it.”

Neil thought about it. All of it meant even the unbelievable dream or time travel he didn't want to tell anyone about but… he hoped Andrew would remember at some point and he wouldn't have to. “ All right, just not all at once.”

Andrew weighed his words and nodded, “Deal.”

***

Time passed and Neil still didn't wake up from his foray in the past. He hadn't told Andrew much more, waiting for another milestone to pass. They often sat together smoking in companiable silence and Neil wanted to talk to Andrew, to kiss Andrew but just sitting in his presence was enough. He told Andrew how his mother had cured his curiosity about kissing but he hadn't pushed the conversation further. Andrew  looked enraged on his behalf and thoughtful.

He told Andrew he'd kissed five people and only felt a spark once. That he needed emotional connection to feel physical attraction. Andrew nodded like it made sense to him. He didn't ask about the people Neil had kissed and Neil didn't volunteer.

Neil still exchanged his scars for Andrew not injuring their teammates but this time he understood Coach's amusement.

“Why does Roland think you're tying me down?” He asked at Eden's, just like before.

When Andrew didn't answer immediately, he continued. “You wouldn't need to. I'd be very good at following instructions.”

“Shut up, junkie. When have you ever?”

“I do!” Neil protested.

“Not on court,” Andrew countered.

“Fuck court,” Neil said. “It's instinct and teamwork more than following instructions. Kevin isn't the end all, be all of exy.”

“Funny you should say that.” Andrew didn't say anything else that evening but watched Neil curiously.

The countdown was steadily going on and Kengo had yet to die.

On January 19th Neil woke up to a text on his phone. He saw surprised that it was from Andrew.

Andrew _: You seriously going to let today's events happen without protest?_

Neil _: Yes._

Andrew _: Dumbass._

Neil went back to sleep with a smile.

It was only when he woke up later that he realised that Andrew could only know about today if he remembered. He jumped out of his and Matt's room and headed for the Monsters’ but he changed course. If Andrew remembered, he'd wait on the roof. If he didn't, chances were, he was still on the roof. No need to alarm the others if Neil could find him alone.

He took the distance in record time, and yeah, he'd been right - Andrew was there smoking.

Neil closed the door behind himself. “Andrew?” He said hesitantly.

“Yes, dumbass.”

“Do you remember?”

“I remember _you_ feeding the pests before lounging on the couch with them, so why ask if _I_ fed them?” Andrew asked in Russian and Neil couldn't stop the wide smile from appearing on his face.

“Andrew! I missed you so much!” He beamed at his husband. “I was afraid you wouldn't remember me. Us.”

“I remember, junkie. Yes or no?”

“Yes. Always yes.” Neil kept smiling radiantly until Andrew chose the most effective way to shut him up.

**Author's Note:**

> The beginning is the same as in the shorter first one, I know. Sorry, I wanted to keep it.


End file.
